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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · race · fine · deal · fan · sharp · key · net

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rest — a break
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. net — for catching
  9. key — in music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — for a lock
  14. race — the arms race
  15. net — after costs
  16. race — a contest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com